The POET'S PRAYER. William Dunkin Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T131163 K104099.003 Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764. A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes. By Several Hands. Vol. III. London printed by J. Hughs, for R. and J. Dodsley 1763 [1st ed. 1758] pp. 197-199. 6v.: music; 8⁰.

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The POET'S PRAYER . IF e'er in thy sight I found favour , Apollo , Defend me from all the disasters which follow : From the knaves and the fools , and the fops of the time , From the drudges in prose , and the triflers in rhyme : From the patch-work and toils of the royal sack-bibber , Those dead birth-day odes , and the farces of CIBBER : From servile attendance on men in high places , Their worships , and honours , and lordships , and graces ; From long dedications to patrons unworthy , Who hear and receive , but will do nothing for thee : From being caress'd to be left in the lurch , The tool of a party , in state or in church : From dull thinking blockheads , as sober as Turks , And petulant bards who repeat their own works : From all the gay things of a drawing-room show , The sight of a Belle , and the smell of a Beau : From busy back-biters , and tatlers , and carpers , And scurvy acquaintance of fidlers and sharpers : From old politicians , and coffee-house lectures , The dreams of a chymist , and schemes of projectors : From the fears of a jail , and the hopes of a pension , The tricks of a gamester , and oaths of an ensign : From shallow free-thinkers in taverns disputing , Nor ever confuted , nor ever confuting : From the constant good fare of another man's board , My lady's broad hints , and the jests of my lord : From hearing old chymists prelecting de olco , And reading of Dutch commentators in folio : From waiting , like GAY , whole years at White-hall ; From the pride of gay wits , and the envy of small : From very fine ladies with very fine incomes , Which they finely lay out on fine toys and fine trincums : From the pranks of ridottoes and court-masquerades , The snares of young jilts , and the spite of old maids : From a saucy dull stage , and submitting to share In an empty third night with a beggarly play'r : From CURL and such Printers as would ha' me curs'd To write second parts , let who will write the first : From all pious patriots , who would to their best , Put on a new tax , and take off an old test : From the faith of informers , the fangs of the law , And the great rogues , who keep all the lesser in awe : From a poor country cure , that living interment , With a wife and no prospect of any preferment : From scribbling for hire , when my credit is sunk , To buy a new coat , and to line an old trunk : From 'squires , who divert us with jokes at their tables , Of hounds in their kennels , and nags in their stables : From the nobles and commons , who bound in strict league are To subscribe for no book , yet subscribe to Heidegger : From the cant of fanaticks , the jargon of schools , The censures of wisemen , and praises of fools : From criticks who never read Latin or Greek , And pedants , who boast they read both all the week : From borrowing wit , to repay it like BUDGEL , Or lending , like POPE , to be paid by a cudgel : If ever thou didst , or wilt ever befriend me , From these , and such evils , APOLLO , defend me , And let me be rather but honest with no-wit , Than a noisy nonsensical half-witted poet .